Waistband for trousers



April 23, 1935.. J D BEST ET AL WAISTBAND FOR TROUSERS Filed Sept. 9, 1931 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Jchn Douglas Best and Abraham Alfred Lind, Dunedin, New Zealand Application September 9, 1931, Serial No. 561,984

2 Claims.

This invention relates to waistbands for clothing where straps and buckles are used to suspend garments without the aid of braces or suspenders.

We are aware that trousers have been made to eliminate braces for suspending same, but the practice has been to supply straps and buckles either at the sides, back, or in both positions. This method is objectionable in that underolothing or the shirt becomes displaced by friction due to body movement with reference in particular to sports use, such as in cricket and tennis.

The object of our invention is to overcome this objection and to entirely eliminate straps and 15 buckles.

The following is a description of our invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a view in elevation of the improved 0 waistband when constructed as an independent article for subsequent application to the trouser waistband.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the waistband construction of Figure l incorporated with the trousers in the making up of the latter.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the improved waistband being shown distended or stretched.

Figure 'l' is a similar View, partly broken away, showing the improved waistband in collapsed or normal condition.

It is to be understood that the band forming the subject-matter of this invention is made up in two distinct ways, varying not so materially in the construction of the band itself as in its initial mode of application. In the first of these ways, the band is applied as an integral part of the garment waistband, while the garment itself is being constructed. In the second of these ways, the band is made up as an independent article and is attached to an already complete garment waistband.

In making up the improved waistband as an integral part of the garment being constructed, the trousers, skirt or other like garment is tailored in the usual way and the waistband, or more particularly the outer section of the waistband, is applied as a part of the garment in the usual manner. In adapting this waistband to the invention dened in this application, a strip of canvas l, hereinafter termed the fabric, and a strip of suitable material, such as a fabric woven from (Cl. 32m-237) goats hair or wool and fairly open, hereinafter referred to as the lining and indicated at 2, is secured to the fabric or canvas layer. These parts have a length commensurate with the length of the garment waistband.

A number of pieces of elastic material S, preferably three in number, and for general purposes approximately 8 long by 1% wide, are arranged against the lining 2 in spaced relation, the pieces of elastic being aligned longitudinally of the waistband, with one arranged at approximately the center of the waistband and the others adjacent the ends thereof.

In the application of the invention being described, where the fabric l and lining 2 are secured to the waistband proper, the elastic strips, one end of which has been secured to the fabric and to the lining, are stretched and the stretched ends secured to the lining fabric and waistband proper. Thus the waistband proper is of normal length only with rubber sections under stretched condition, and as these rubber sections tend to resume a normal condition, there is a tendency to pucker or draw in and thus materially reduce the overall length of the waistband proper and connected parts.

A strip 4 of silesia, hereinafter termed the outer shield, is stitched to the lining 2 and fabric l, this strip being secured in place to form a housing for the elastic strips, the line of stitching being indicated at 5. The top edge of the waistband proper is then turned in and hemmed by the usual practice and finished off with the waistband lining which, of course, overlies the silesia orshield and all the parts are stitched together at the lower end.

Where the improved waistband is developed as an article of manufacture to be applied to existing otherwise completed garments, the improved waistband is separately constructed and includes a strip of canvas, hereinafter termed the fabric and indicated at l', a strip of openwork fabric 2', hereinafter termed the lining, elastic strips 3', and silesia or shield all connected together and arranged as previously described, except that they are connected as an independent article and the further exception that the elastic strips are secured only at one end. In this independent formation, the lower edge of the silesia or outer shield ll is fed over the bottom edges of the canvas or fabric i and lining 2' and united by a seam in order to give the bottom edge of the band a finished appearance.

In the formation being described, the improved band is being constructed as an independent element. Of course, when so constructed the elastic strips cannot be in stretched condition, as the securing of the strips in stretched condition must take place after the improved band is secured to the waistband of the otherwise completed garment. Therefore, means must be provided by which the elastic strips in the now completed band may be stretched following the securing of the band to the waistband of the garment in order that the strips may then function as in the arrangement previously described.

To secure this result, a tag 5' is connected to the free ends tot of the elastic strip in order to facilitate the stretching of the strips when applying the independently constructed waistband to the waistband proper of the garment. The silesia or shield t is slit at llt, l5 and l G to permit the now free ends of the elastic strip and the tab to project through this outer shield and be fully exposed on the back of the independently formed waistband. The top edges of the materials forming this waistband may be stitched together, as at 8', and the upper end of the silesia or shield il extended above the line of stitches for connecting this independent waistband to the waistband proper of the garment.

In applying the independently constructed waistband to the waistband of the garment, such independently constructed waistband is placed in position against the garment waistband proper and secured thereto by lines of stitching, indicated at i0, il and l2 in Figure l, these lines of stitching preferably passing through and further securing the ends of the elastic. The formed band is then secured to the waistband proper by a line of stitching I3, the elastic strips 3 are stretched by means of the tags E', and the stretched elastic stitched in place through all parts by lines of stitching, indicated at I4', i5 and i6. The elastic strips are thus held extended when the waistband proper of the garment is at full normal length and otherwise tend to reduce that length when the elastic strips are permitted under their inherent resiliency to assume or attempt to assume their normal lengths.

It is, of course, to be understood that no limitation is intended herein by any particular reference to dimensions or specific material, it being understood that the particular dimensions and specic materials referred to are preferred but that other materials and other dimensions may be used and that the dimensions particularly will vary in accordance with the normal waistline length of the garment waistband proper, as obviously in longer waistband lengths, longer strips of elastic will be required than in shorter waistband lengths.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszl. An improved waist band for clothing comprising an inner layer of fabric, a lining adjacent the inner layer of fabric, sections of elastic adjacent the lining, stitches fastening one end of each elastic section to the lining and fabric band, other stitches fastening the opposite end of each elastic section to the lining and fabric band, that portion of the lining and fabric band between the stitches being puckered when the elastic sections are in their normal or unstretched condition, an outer shield encasing the elastic sections, the lower edge of the outer shieldv lapping the lower edge of elastic sections, fabric band and lining; and stitches above and below the elastic sections to fasten the shield, lining and fabric band together.

2. An improved waist band for clothing comprising an inner layer of fabric, a lining adjacent the inner layer of fabric, sections of elastic adjacent the lining, each elastic section having a tab at one end, stitches fastening one end of each elastic section to the lining and fabric band, the tab serving to stretch the elastic, with said elastic being designed to be secured in stretched relation by additional stitches uniting the stretched elastic adjacent the tabs to the lining and fabric band, that portion of the lining and fabric band between the stitches being puckered when the elastic sections are in their normal or unstretched condition, an outer shield encasing the elastic sections, the lower edge of the outer shield lapping the lower edge of elastic sections, fabric band and lining, and stitches above and below the elastic sections to fasten the shield, lining and fabric band together, the shield having slits for the tabs, whereby the elastic sections can be stretched and the lining and fabric band'puckered when applying the additional stitches to the ends of the elastic sections.

JOHN DOUGLAS BEST.

ABRAHAM ALFRED LIND. 

